


A slow work day(because of the Swedes)

by Lulununu333



Category: The West Wing
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:09:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25209733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lulununu333/pseuds/Lulununu333
Summary: Charlie decides it's about time Josh knows he has feelings for him, but Josh is not quite ready to admit it.
Relationships: Josh Lyman/Charlie Young
Kudos: 3





	A slow work day(because of the Swedes)

**Author's Note:**

> So, I saw that there was only one other work with this ship and it's a sad one, so I thought I would correct that! I was originally going to write something very long that showed how they got together, told the Whitehouse staff, their families, the world, and the fallout that would result. Trying to write a novel, though, so I did not want something all consuming. But if there is interest in that work let me know because it is all plotted out. 
> 
> I would also love to hear feedback on my writing, especially my dialogue and the authenticity of the characters. 
> 
> Lastly, what do we think here Jarlie or Chosh. I like both ships name equally but have been using Chosh for a while in my head.

Josh Lyman was in his office, trying to resist smacking his head against the desk. He was already sitting in a huff, and sulking, so he didn’t need to add another layer of emotional exasperation. It didn’t help that Charlie was about to walk in and tell him what he already knew. He wasn’t even being allowed near the door. “Ah, come in, Charlie, please tell me the good news.”

“Leo is asking that, in order for this meeting to go as smoothly as possible, you stay in the bullpen. And that if you see one of Sweden's people, you should run as quickly as possible in the other direction.”

“That’s just lovely! Her staff too? You know what I think? I think she needs to get over herself. I mean how was I even supposed to know that the moose was the national animal of her country? I was just trying to be my cute, charming self and make casual conversation involving some fun moose autonomy facts. To be offended to that degree was uncalled for. I mean you didn’t see me get offended when-

“Josh! You’ll stay away, right?” Josh nodded glumly, deflating a little. He looked down on his desk, giving more serious thought into slamming it with his head. Then he looked back at Charlie, defiant. 

“I'll just work on something else. I mean the White House has to have more on the agenda than trade with the Swedes. I mean that was it for my agenda, but there has to be an issue I can really sink my teeth into today.” Josh looked up at Charlie who was looking down at him. “Except everyone else is working with the Swedes today. God, why does everything have to be a team effort around here.” 

“Look at it this way. At least now you get to relax for a day. Maybe you can even head home. That’s a pretty rare chance in the White House. 

“Yes I got into public policy so I could sit on the sidelines. So, I could really get to relax. Not that Swedish trade is particularly what I got into it for either. Maybe this won’t be so bad. I’ll take a long lunch while I wait for the next fire to start. Or maybe even get some sleep.”

“Or maybe you could do something else first.” Charlie closed the door and sat down, opposite Josh. He felt like he was about to be asked to do something he wasn’t going to be able to. He wanted to help Charlie, but his politcal power was not as great as people liked to imagine.“I think we should talk.” That didn’t exactly sound like Charlie was about to make a request for a friend’s father’s VA benefits to go through any faster. 

“We seem to be doing that right now, or did you mean about something in particular” The tone had definitely shifted and all of a sudden. Josh felt the need to be defensive for some reason. That was not a good sign. 

“I just thought it was the right time to help you take your head out of your ass.” Okay being defensive was the wrong choice. He had to regroup because he just turned nervous Charlie into in-your-face Charlie, who was harder to talk down, and to win arguments against. 

“Excuse me!” was all Josh could end up saying in response. Charlie was now looking at him as if the whole thing should have been obvious.

“Well since, as I told you, it’s going to be a slow day for you, I figured now would be a good time to finally address this.”

“This? Charlie, what do you want to talk about.” More discomfort. This was building to something that Josh wasn’t prepared for. He didn’t know how to stop it though. Charlie seemed determined to say it anyway.

“Us. I want to talk about us.” And that should have been an answer but Josh did not want to see it as one so he was just as confused as he was. 

“Us? What about us? And hey shouldn’t you be returning to work?” That’s right! Charlie didn’t have time for this kind of thing. He had to staff the president. He had to get the Swedesh Prime Minister some of that candy fish or something. There was no way he could stay and talk about whatever-the-hell this was.

“I’m on lunch,” he retorted. He was going to keep retorting but Josh could do the same thing. He could run out the clock. 

“Then shouldn’t you, you know, eat something.” Seriously, he should. He was probably working a twelve hour shift, and there was not a lot of time to slip off and grab something to eat in this line of work. 

“I’ll grab something on the way back to my desk. Now if we could just-” and that was it. He just had to know what the hell Charlie was talking about already because if he wasn’t going to drop it then he needed to get on with it.

“Charlie, what is all this about because I’m racking my brain here, and I don’t know what it could be. If you want to talk about us then let’s actually do it. Just spit it out already.” Charlie gave Josh a look like he had done something wrong, but then that look softened a bit.

“I think we should go out.” Josh was blown away again. The flagrency with which Charlie was talking was unbelievable. Did he really just hear what Charlie said? Could that have actually been right?

“Excuse me” Because again it was the only thing he could think of to say in response to THAT. Surely, he heard wrong and would be excused and corrected.

“Discounting our jobs, genders, and age difference, I think it makes a lot of sense. We can ease the tension between us, and the romantic interest is there on both sides. Typically, when that’s the case, one person will eventually ask the other out. So, that’s what I’m doing.”

“There are so many things wrong with what you just said that I don’t even know where to begin. Is that really- I mean is that really what you want to talk about. Ask me for dating advice about Zoe, don’t ask me this.” But Josh could tell that Charlie was serious and not about to back down. “Charlie I don’t know where along the way you got this impression of me, but-

“It’s not an impression. Josh if I was a woman you probably would have asked me out already. I know by the way you talk to me, and I know by the way you look at me. I think if you stop and think about it for just a moment, then it would make sense to you, too. Now, I’m not asking you to marry me, just to go out. We can do the normal thing and start with one date, and see where it goes from there. I think it’s going to go well. 

“Charlie, there is nothing normal about what’s happening right now. I spent the last week talking about whale blubber tariffs and the Swedish-American opera exchange and yet this tops the list of not-normal. In what reality do you imagine this could ever work, keeping in mind I don’t want it to.”

“Well, I had been giving it some thought, and on this side of politics we think consenting adults should be allowed to go out if they so choose. That doesn’t just end at the White House. I think if we go to the president he will agree with me. I know you’ll want to go to Leo, but he would end things before it began, and he’s not my boss anyway. Then we would go to CJ to find a reporter on our side to give us a soft interview to put on a good spin.” 

“Charlie, none of that matters. This would throw a massive wrench into our entire political agenda. Things would be derailed for weeks, maybe even months. I would probably have to resign in shame and you would never be anymore then the president’s body man. No soft interview is going to stop the feeding frenzy that would come the very next day. And oh yeah, I don’t have romantic interest in you and there’s no tension.” That last bit he could not help but laugh out. Josh was not crazy. This whole idea was crazy, but he was not. There’s no way he was nursing feelings for Charlie this whole time. How could he not know?

“Josh, since when were you the first person to know about your feelings? Usually, you’re the last person to find out, and if you're lucky, you get to be the 3rd or 4th person to. This time you get to be the second person, maybe. I wouldn’t be surprised if Leo has been dreading this for awhile. Anyway, you should trust me when I tell you that you have feelings for me, because you do.” That was how Josh’s love life typically went but he still did not even want to entertain the notion. It’s implications were unsettling. “I’ll give you a moment to think about it, because you must already have some notion of what I’m talking about.” No, Josh did not want that. And yet it was coming to him anyway. His memory told the story of admiration, denial, and real affection. It also reminded him of subtle lingering thoughts of lust. Of things that he had tried to shove away or compartmentalize. Now given the chance, those thoughts, longing to gush out into feelings, finally did. And now he could not deny what was in front of him. “Look at you, you felt it right? What do you say about giving just one date a try? We don’t have to make any big decisions or deal with any big consequences yet.”

Well, one date would likely be harmless, and now that Josh was aware of his own feelings, he had to admit he really wanted one. He smiled to himself and then to Charlie. “I can already tell you’re about to get me in so much trouble. I need to enjoy this slow day because I’m not going to get one after this. How about you call me after work and we can figure out a time.” And just like that in-your-face Charlie turned to Happy-Sappy-Victory Charlie. 

“Really, that was much easier than I thought it was going to be. I mean don’t get me wrong it was painful and exhausting, but that only took like twenty minutes. Okay. Okay, I will call you after work. Work that I really should be getting back to.” Charlie was beaming and Josh could feel his face copy the motion. He couldn't help himself. Charlie left and Josh waited a good bit before he went off to the mess for his nice long lunch. This was going to be complicated, and it was a bad idea for so many reasons, but at least for now he had a date to look forward to.


End file.
